Ask most Thais about football and they are likely to rattle off the names of at least 3 English teams they support (almost inevitably it will include Man United). I suspect if the deal does go through with the mighty Blues then we might have a 'proper' Manchester team being mentioned out here more readily (can't wait for some comments from a few Newton Heath supporters on the back of that !).
Thai television broadcasts over 500 live games a year. The cable channel Truevision screens all the Premier League games plus selected games from La Liga and the Bundesliga. But it's the EPL which is by far the most popular.
It's estimated that 14 billion baht (around 200 million quid) is bet on football each year in Thailand... despite the fact that gambling on sport is illegal over here.
Ever wondered why Chang lager sponsor Everton, despite the fact that it's distribution in the UK is relatively low ? Well, now you know.
As for City, there was some other front page news in the Bangkok Post today which may curtail my enthusiasm. Thaksin was formally indicted for corruption and most of his assets have been frozen. Ah. Well, maybe he has the 82 million pounds he has offered for the club hidden under his mattress ?
Steve Blakeman
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Last login: 27 Oct 2008
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